Imagine a place…
Where children are free to play and grow, naturally.
Where childhood is filled with awe and wonder.
Where children are nurtured through deep and meaningful connection to nature.
Where children have a voice, and are trusted in their own innate wisdom.
As part of the Wildlings Forest School family, Little Wildlings carries forward a legacy of nature-based learning. Our commitment to Bush Kindy, both on and off-site, is at the heart of both our Pre-Kindy and Kindergarten programs.
We believe in the transformative power of nature play, nurturing little explorers into confident, curious learners.
At Little Wildlings children will be given the opportunity to participated in:
Daily Bush Kindy: Safe, all-weather outdoor learning as part of Pre-Kindy and Kindergarten programs.
Off-Site Bush Kindy: Daily trips for groups of 10-15 to explore nature spaces within walking distance or accessible by public transport.
Child-Directed Play: Free play in nature, driven by each child’s interests, on-site and off.
Curiosity-Driven Learning: Children explore, discover, and lead their learning at their own pace.
Nature Immersion: Opportunities to get wet, dirty, and muddy while exploring creeks, building cubbies, bug hunting, and cooking in the mud kitchen.
Tool Use: Hands-on experience with real tools such as hammers, hand saws, and whittling knives.
Bushcraft Skills: Learning to tie knots, fire strike, and cook over campfires.
These experiences foster confidence, resilience, grit, initiative, decision-making, and risk assessment, supporting children’s social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development.
Our Vision
Little Wildlings aims to provide access to nature spaces through child directed play and exploration. Our Kindy is modeled on a vision of the second home, a place where families feel connected to their village and where our educators feel like family.
We envision a model of early childhood education where children can play outdoors, rain or shine, every day.
We aim to build an early learning community of like minded families and educators who value being part of the village that helps to raise the child.
We believe that children are curious, adventurous souls who love to explore, experiment, and investigate, and believe that nature provides the best playspaces, resources and provocations.
We value the importance of children’s rights and their voices in their learning, and advocate for child-directed play, in a community where educators and children co-construct learning.
We want children to thrive, not just survive in their early years, hence we must create space and time for nature, play, exploration, and deep and flexible connection with adult mentors who truly care about them.
Quite simply we believe that children who experience a childhood in nature will have all their developmental needs met.
“Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity.”
— Richard Louv